Evan Chu stepped through the stone gate and was instantly so shocked he stumbled backward, barely able to believe what he was seeing.
Two dragons—at least ten meters long, one blazing with fire and the other wreathed in ice—were glaring at him, and the flames and coldfire pouring from their mouths felt like they could annihilate him in an instant.
Behind him, Jenny Sima and Macy Mei, the Violet Thunder Fox, saw Evan retreat and were puzzled—had he spotted some terrifying monster or danger? Otherwise, he’d never have reacted like that.
Only then did Evan shout, "Everyone, run!" But it was too late—by now, everyone had come inside, and the stone gate had already fallen shut. Even if they wanted to escape, there was no way out.
The others finally saw the Fire Dragon and Ice Dragon—Ice-Fire Twin Dragons—coiled together in midair. The sheer pressure made everyone instinctively take several steps back.
Evan forced himself to calm his nerves and said, "I never imagined the seal would hold such terrifying beings. Looks like this time, we really can't escape—it's my fault for dragging everyone into this."
"Evan, don’t say that. None of us could have imagined there’d be Ice-Fire Twin Dragons in here. Even if we really can’t get out, I’d never blame you. To die by your side—I’d consider it a blessing. Honestly, I’d feel happy." Jenny Sima said.
Evan was hit by a sudden wave of emotion and glanced gratefully at Jenny Sima.
"Boss, following you—even if it means dying, I’m still happy! Don’t overthink it!" Goldwing said.
"Boss, dying together isn’t so bad, right? We’ll get to be together every day from now on! I’m too happy for words—how could I ever blame you?" Macy Mei said.
Just when everyone was sure they were doomed, the Fire Dragon of the Ice-Fire Twin Dragons finally spoke. "You’re the ones who broke this seal?"
"We broke it. Are you two planning to repay kindness with betrayal?" Evan Chu had already steeled himself—if he was going to die today, he’d die with dignity. So what if they were dragons? He was a dragon too, even if only a half-sealed one.
"Kid, gutsy, but it’s pointless in front of me. One sneeze from me and you’ll be wiped out—body and soul. Show some respect, or you’ll all die right here." The Fire Dragon continued, full of arrogance.
"Screw you! So badass you can kill with a sneeze? What realm is this damn mudfish even at?" Evan fumed inwardly, thoroughly annoyed.
"Heh, Evan, both these dragons should be at the Divine Martial Realm. They really do have the right to talk big. But I’m certain they won’t hurt you—in fact, they’ll probably help you!" Luna’s voice echoed in his mind.
"Why? I don’t buy it!" Evan shot back, even if part of him desperately wanted it to be true.
"Trust me, they will. Don’t forget—you’ve got Dragon Clan blood, and your identity. These two dragons must’ve been put here by the Lord of Frostbane himself!" Luna said, sounding utterly confident.
Evan looked up at the Fire Dragon and Ice Dragon suspended in the air. "You two have been trapped here for thousands of years, right? Now that I’ve freed you, this is how you treat your savior? You’re disgracing the entire Dragon Clan."
"Say that again, boy! The dignity of the Dragon Clan isn’t something an ant like you can insult. If I wasn’t in a good mood today, you’d all be dead already—nothing left but pieces." The Fire Dragon roared, unleashing a pressure so intense Evan and the others could barely breathe.
Everyone knew the Fire Dragon’s temper was legendary, but Evan wasn’t fazed. He glanced at the ground beneath the two dragons—on one side, a raging sea of fire; on the other, an ice pool radiating deadly chill.
All the heat and chill from both sides surged into the two dragons—otherwise, the waves of Earth-Fire and Coldflame here would’ve already injured or killed everyone.
Between the fire sea and the ice pool grew a small gray sapling, just over a meter tall, with only a dozen leaves. Each leaf held a silver-white crystal the size of a peanut, looking utterly bizarre.
Evan’s gut told him these were the Iceflame Crystals. He never imagined they’d look like this—but getting them was clearly going to be a challenge.
"Senior Fire Dragon, there’s no need to get so worked up. We only came here to seek the Iceflame Crystal, not to cause trouble. Please understand!" Evan said, neither arrogant nor servile.
The Fire Dragon stared intently at Evan, then suddenly shuddered. "You—who exactly are you?" it demanded, voice tinged with excitement and nerves.
"Whoever you think I am, that’s who I am. I hope you two Dragon Seniors will grant my request." Evan realized they’d mistaken him for the Lord of Frostbane.
At that moment, the Ice Dragon finally spoke. "I never expected that after ten thousand years, your strength would regress this far, Lord of Frostbane. Did you ever imagine, when you imprisoned us, that you’d see this day?"
Its tone was so icy it felt like Coldflame atop a snowy peak—enough to make everyone shiver.
Evan immediately sensed something was off—the Ice Dragon clearly held a grudge against the Lord of Frostbane for imprisoning them, and today it was ready to settle the score. If that was true, things could get very dangerous.
Forcing himself to stay calm, Evan said, "Senior Ice Dragon, you must have me mistaken—I’m not your Lord of Frostbane. My name is Evan Chu, and I’m eighteen years old!"
Evan’s words left both dragons puzzled. Deep down, they knew someone his age and power couldn’t possibly be the Lord of Frostbane—but his appearance was just too similar, making them doubt.
"You might fool others with that story, but this is an ancient seal—only the Lord of Frostbane himself could break it. No one else could. Still, to see you reduced to this—maybe it’s karma?" the Ice Dragon said, its voice as cold as ever.
"So what do you want? Planning to take revenge?" Evan asked. Since they’d already decided he was the Lord of Frostbane, further explanations were pointless.
"Revenge? That’s the plan. But since you helped me and the Fire Dragon break the seal, I’ll grant you one request. I, the Ice Dragon, always keep my word," it said.
"Any request at all?" Evan asked, bracing himself.
"Anything within my power. You have three minutes to decide—think of it as your last words!"
"Will you spare my friends?" Evan asked. If the Ice Dragon was serious, and his death could save them, it would be worth it—these two dragons were simply unbeatable.
"What do you think? If you die, your friends will join you—otherwise, you’d be all alone in the Underworld. I’m doing you a favor, so don’t be ungrateful. Hurry up and state your last wish—I don’t have time to waste," the Ice Dragon replied, its voice even icier.
"Fine, since you insist on a last request, I’ll be blunt. My wish is simple, and you can easily grant it—but I’m afraid you won’t agree," Evan said.
"Speak! We dragons have our dignity. If I’ve promised you a dying wish, I’ll keep my word!" the Fire Dragon finally chimed in.
"Good, very good! Both of you Dragon Seniors are people of your word—I know you won’t go back on it. My request is simple: how about you both become my followers?"